Reviews & Ratings for
"The Sopranos" Bust-Out (2000)

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The honest guys and the crooks, 5 April 2008

Author: Max_cinefilo89 from Italy

From Where to Eternity was a wonderful story, filled with meaning and symbols that are usually banned from crime fiction. By comparison, the tenth episode of Season Two looks completely formulaic, though its conventional nature hides a deeper look at conflicting attitudes to life.

The predictable element of Bust-Out is introduced in the opening sequence: apparently, someone saw Tony kill Matt Bevilaqua, and since this guy doesn't know who he is framing, his patriotism demands that he inform the authorities. Upon learning the startling news, Tony makes all kinds of arrangements so that he can disappear as soon as possible, although he keeps pressuring his old friend David Scatino (Robert Patrick) while he still has time, even if that means leading Dave towards bankruptcy. In the meantime, Richie asks Uncle Junior for help, as he isn't satisfied with his current earnings, while Pussy is told by Agent Lipari that if he had anything to do with the Bevilaqua hit (the witness couldn't identify the second shooter with certainty) he will go to jail automatically.

This episode's main charm consists of its retrieval of the Scatino character from The Happy Wanderer: whereas the previous episode was a metaphysical study of life and death, Bust-Out has a more down-to-earth approach in its analysis of radically opposed lives - David, who has always been an honest guy, is so desperate to get out of debt he eventually blows his own son's college fund and contemplates suicide right after doing so, while Tony, thanks to his attitude with people like Dave, is able to take AJ out on a fishing trip and spend some quality time with the kid without really deserving it. The juxtaposition of the two situations makes for one of the show's more tragic moments, perfectly rendered by an almost unrecognizable Patrick: watch the episode back-to-back with either Terminator 2 or the Law & Order: SVU ep where he played a child molester, and you'll hardly know it's the same actor.

1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Money in money out, 11 August 2008

Author: ctomvelu-1 from United States

Someone saw Tony and Pussy kill Matt, which throws Tony into a mild panic. Tony and Richie keep the pressure on David Scatino, who still owes them thousands of dollars, and David's business soon goes Chapter 11. Tony spends a little more time with AJ after being dressed down by Carmela. Richie cozies up to Junior even more after Janice puts the arm on him during sex. Carmela is at her most annoying while dining out with one of the gals, revealing that she has been dreaming about the gal's brother, a handsome widower. It's funny to watch the interplay between Tony and AJ. Tony in his own way wants to be closer to his son, and AJ is OK with the idea but responds to his father in typically bland fashion. The final shot, with the two bonding while on board a large yacht, is a kick.

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